TAKING RISKS TOGETHER
Two neighbouring Lancashire Schools are taking part in a joint innovative
project based upon shared practitioner research.
Walton-Le-Dale Community Primary School and Lostock Hall Community
Primary School are both very large, urban Primary Schools, situated a
mile apart, that are similar in character, landscape, values and
organization.
Having already taken part in the ‘Learning Walk’ process as Headteachers,
this theme is being extended to develop face-to-face research and
innovation practice across the two schools.
As prescribed by David Hargreaves in a recent Demos article entitled
‘Working Laterally’ :‘Transferred innovation is a simple idea, but moving knowledge is
different in practice. The sharing of ‘good practice’ and ‘the
dissemination of best practice’ is widely advocated. Unfortunately
our knowledge of how to do this is frighteningly slight.’
The two schools have adopted a peer-to-peer strategy that is aimed at
not only sharing the ‘good practice’ observed but also carrying out
research into the effectiveness of its application.
Teachers from both school have developed ‘Learning Sets’ of six
colleagues with representatives from Foundation, Key Stages 1 and 2.
These groups began this co-enquiry process by carrying out a ‘Learning
Walk’ at each school, utlising the protocols and guidelines established
within their local Networked Learning Community who have a very
established ‘learning Walk’ scheme.
The key reading focus utilised to drive the momentum of this Action
Research is from the aforementioned David Hargreaves Demos piece, the
section entitled – ‘The Third Transformation – going lateral’. This
particular section ideally relates to the underpinning ethos of this selfevaluative group – ‘the creative adaptatio0n of transferred innovation’.
Lostock-Walton Lead Learning Group – January 2004
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The groups identified Quality Indicators and evidence of effective
practice related to the key research question –
‘How does the classroom impact on children’s learning and
attainment?’
The identified learning environment is differentiated into the areas of
display, organization of resources, learning areas, achievements, values
and use of language.
From this analysis each group identifies an agreed exemplar of good
practice. The next two terms are then spent adapting this shared good
practice and assessing its impact upon the pupils achievement and
attainment. Reading days and seminar discussions are built into the
process aimed at linking research to practice through debate and
informed innovation. The structure of the scheme enables teachers to
gain a deeper understanding of ‘Learning and Teaching’ through being
empowered to take risks to improve classroom practice, learn
collaboratively and model action research.
The final aspect of this ‘year-long’ scheme is for staff to report back on
key findings of their innovative research and to write a summary to be
presented at a joint conference for both schools. Thus enabling learning
and meta-learning through a collaborative model of sharing good practice.
WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE
In setting up this collaborative project we hope to show that we are able
to use the professional characteristics of our teachers to shape their
children’s learning and achievements, through the effectiveness of the
learning environment and classroom climates they create.
We hope to develop a model where the teacher has ownership of their
own professional development programme and identifies their own areas
for improvement.
There are many dimensions to classroom climate which can impact
significantly on pupil’s motivation and achievement. Our research has
initially chosen to look at the learning environment. The importance of
environment lies both in the extent to which pupils consider their
Lostock-Walton Lead Learning Group – January 2004
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environment to be comfortable and practical to work in and the stimulus
an attractive classroom provides.. The classroom, can therefore be
symbolic, as well as practical, conveying many messages to the pupils
about the school, about their education and about them as pupils. The
aim of this research project will be to either prove or disprove the claim
that effective organization of the learning environment as one aspect of
the classroom climate can promote the pupils learning.
Our ultimate aim is to further develop this peer-to-peer research
approach to explore other dimensions of classroom climate as defined in
the Hay McBer research project into Teacher Effectiveness and
Classroom Climate.
Just as we require teachers to develop an atmosphere in the classroom
that enables pupils to change and grow then as leaders we must create an
atmosphere of confidence and trust that enables adults to change and
grow through active participation in their own development.
Christine Entwistle – Headteacher,Walton-le-Dale CPS
Ian Kirkland – Headteacher,Lostock Hall CPS
Lostock-Walton Lead Learning Group – January 2004
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